CSS Missouri, A Timeline-- Part 1: The Difficulties of Lt. Jonathan Carter

From the Civil War Navies Message Board by Michael Cassamasse, July 30, 2005.

FEB 1, 1863  Lt. Carter urges Confederate Navy Department to send heavy naval guns for his ironclad.  Also upset that the department has decided not to start a second ironclad at Shreveport, Louisiana until the first one is completed.

The Navy has to take into account the depth of the Red River at all times.

A steamboat had been purchased for $65,000 with suitable machinery for an ironclad.

FEBRUARY 15, 1863  Lt. Carter reported that the entire gun deck and most of the frame was mostly up and that planking would soon be applied.

He suggested that the ironclad be named be named Caddo after the name of the parish in Shreveport was the ironclad was being built.

That same day, engineer John W. Parks arrived in Shreveport to supervise installation of machinery.  By the end of February the framework of the Caddo was completed, planking of the botto=m and sidesnearly finished and the spar deck being laid.

--Old B-Runner